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The Yūsufzai (also Youssofzay, Yousafzai, Esapzey, Yousufi, or Yūsufi) (Urdu: یوسف زئی) are one of the largest Pashtun tribes. The majority of the Yusufzai tribe reside in the North West Frontier Province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, with some tribal Yususfzais settled along the Afghan border. Yusufzais are the predominant population in the districts of Swat, Mardan, Malakand, Swabi, Buner and Shangla. Still other Yusufzai colonies can be found in the inner city of Sialkot and Lahore where they have established themselves as landowners arriving in the 13th century. They speak the northern variant of "Pukhtu" with the hard "kh" replacing the softer "sh" of southern Pashtun tribes.
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History
They migrated to Kabul when Mirza Ulugh Beg was governor. He succeeded his father, Shah Rukh, who was a son of Timur (Taimur-e-Lang), in 1446 A.D. In the time of Babur, who first came to Kabul in 1504 A.D., Peshawar had been colonized by Afghan tribes, such as the Swatis and Dilazaks. On his second visit, fourteen years later, he found the Yusufzais had spread into Swat. The current settlement of the Yusufzais must have come about after this time.
The Yusufzai took much of their current lands from the Afghan tribes Dilazaks and Swatis, after a single but desperate and decisive battle fought on the plains between the villages of Gadar and Langarkot. Babur himself helped subdue the tribes against Yususfzais, using matchlocks for the first time against the Jahangiri sultan, Mir Haider Ali Gebri of Bajour. Bibi Mubarka had married King Babur, and had also been titled as "Afghani Agacha".
Yousafzais have shown great bravery against Sikhs and British in the 18th and 19th century, especially the clans of Swat and Black Mountain of Hazara. The famous battle of Ambela took place in 1863. The sikh General Harri singh was killed by the Yusafzai in a battle that was fought outside Peshawar in Chamkani Bakht Khan Rohilla (1797 - 1859) was the nominal commander-in-chief of Indian rebel forces in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company. He too was a Yusafzai
One of the first tribal militia that was sent to liberate Kashmir in 1948 war was a 10000 strong tribal army of Yusafzai from Mardan, Swabi and Malakand.
The great Captain Karnal Sher Khan who was awarded the highest gallantry award of the Pakistan army, the Nishan-e-Haider, was a Yousafzai from the Swabi district.
Demographics
After settling themselves in the plains, the Yusufzais pushed on into the hill country beyond and in a few years became the masters of Swat and Buner. Three sections of the tribe, the Hassanzai, Akazai and Chagharzai, inhabit the west slopes of the Black Mountain, and the Yusufzai country stretches to the Utman Khel territory. The Kamalzai Yusufzais inhabit Toru and Hoti of the Mardan District and the city of Mardan. The population demographics of Yusufzais who can trace Yusufzai blood line is unknown but there are 3-6 million Pashtu speaking Yusufzais.
Sub-Tribes
- Musa Khel
- Amazai
- Ahmed khel
- Akazai
- Babozai
- Shamozai
- Chagharzai
- Hassanzai
- Isazai
- Kamalzai
- Niamatkhel
- Maddakhel
- Malizai
- Ranizai
- Razarh
- Utmanzai
- Rohilla
- Jalozai
- Shamizai
- Nikpikhel: Nikpikhel are children of Malik Nikpikhel. Nikpikhel occupy the right bank of the Swat river from Dedahara to Ningolai. The Nikpikhel are divided into two clans, Aba Khel and Asha Khel. Aba Khel is divided into the Ar Abakehl and Koz Aba Khel. Koz Aba Khel includes Dedahara, Gadi, Dagay, Kotlai, Akhud Kilay, Kabal, Sirsinai, Hazara, Aligrama and Malooch. Bar Abakhel includes Kalakilay, Totano Bandai, Manja, Golden, Devlai, Nasrat, Shahdeari, Samai, Maira, Tall, Dardyal, and Kamyari. Bar Aba Khel is divided into 3 clans, Mata Khel, Zaina Khel, and Sahib Khel. The Mata Khel include Saran Khel, Khushal Khel and Jura Khail. Saran Khel reside in Shahdeari, Totano Bandai, Golden, Manja and Dardyal. Muhammad Khan had three sons, Miray, Firdous Khan and Torsam Khan. Descendants of Miray live in Dardyal. Miray had two sons, Gulbaaz Khan and Piray. Descendants of Firdous Khan live in Shahdeari. Firdous Khan had two sons, Mirbaaz Khan and Fahim Jan Khan. Mirbaaz Khan had 5 sons, Muhammad Azim Khan, Sher Afzal Khan, Ahmad Khan, Sherzada Khan and Usman. Fahim Jan Khan has three sons, Rahim Shah, Dilku Shah, Zamin Shah. The descendents of Torsam Khan live in Totano Bandai.
- Suleman Khel
- Sarobi is situated in Mardan, and is famous for a natural beauty and hospitality. Sarobi is the last border of the district Mardan, nearMalakand Agency.
- Mahabat Khel. These tribes live in Mansehra, Allai, Phattar plain, Swat and Mardan.
- Taju (Tajo Khel) live in Beka, Sala, Haryan, Lahore, Anbar, Nabi, Zida, MArghoz, and in Bhopal (India), Dehli,Agra (India) and in Pathan Coat India, Reading (UK), NY (US) and In South Wales
- Zakaria Khel and Taous-Khani live in the Swabi district of the village of Lahore
See also
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
(1) The history of Youasfzai ,author Khan Roshan Khan
External links
